The present invention relates to an analog display of the segmented type for displaying a level of a detected signal.
LED (light emitting diode) level meters have been used in audio reproduction systems for displaying the level of input signals. A typical drive system for controlling the number of lighted LEDs in response to the level of the input signal is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,951, "SOLID STATE ELECTRONIC GAUGE" issued on Mar. 12, 1974, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,796, "ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MEANS FOR USE IN ANALOGUE DISPLAY AND/OR CONTROL SYSTEM" issued on Apr. 12, 1977.
When the above-mentioned LED level meter is used to display the level of the stereo sound signal, two sets of the LED level meters are employed in the conventional system for displaying the right channel signal level and the left channel signal level, respectively.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an analog display of the segmented type which displays the levels of plural signals at a same time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an LED level meter for displaying a stereo sound signal level through the use of one array of LEDs.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
To achieve the above objects, pursuant to an embodiment of the present invention, a row of light emitting diodes are provided for indicating the level of one input signal from the left end of the row and for indicating the level of another input signal from the right end of the row. The one input signal can be the left channel sound signal, and the other input signal can be the right channel sound signal when the present level meter is used for displaying the audio signal level of the stereo sound.
In a preferred form, ten (10) light emitting diodes are aligned in a row to which a driver circuit is connected. The driver circuit functions to enable a preselected number of light emitting diodes from the left end of the row in response to the level of the left channel sound signal. The driver circuit further functions to enable a preselected number of light emitting diodes from the right end of the row in response to the level of the right channel sound signal. The driver circuit further functions to drive the light emitting diode which is located at the position where the number of diodes to be illuminated from the left end and the right end overlap each other at a brightness higher than the remaining light emitting diodes.
In another preferred form, a row of the light emitting diodes is connected to a driver circuit which functions to enable one light emitting diode representing the level of the input signal. More specifically, when the left channel sound signal has the level corresponding to four (4) LEDs and the right channel sound signal has the level corresponding to three (3) LEDs, the fourth LED counted from the left end of the row and the third LED counted from the right end of the row are enabled.